Kool & The Gang "Music Is The Message"

[joems11365]

this brings back the true sound of funk getting funking up and listening to this its the shit. joe east harlem nyc.

[jowersomega]

break sampled by Biz Markie for Diamond shell

[PrAnG2000]

Classic track sampled by Ultramagnetic MC's on a track which had the same title.

[Buckeyecat2002]

Yea, Boy!! This was the stuff, the real stuff, of the funky variety. Long before "Disco" usurped the funk and dipped it into an abyss of vanilla frosting, there was real music  with a message.

[oldschoolbass]

YOUNG KOOL AND THE GANG REAL  FUNK

[oliverecords]

02:32 still my favourite funk joint, after all these years of discovering more obscure, rare, deep funk from all eras and kinds. This music just feels so good, it's JOY.

[Lar112]

Thanks for posting this. This album is an all time classic!!!

[UncleBW]

Awesome! i still have this album.

[Xelanderthomas]

This is totally the Shiit. Nothing like it. Nobody funks it like this anymore...especially not Kool and the Gang, themselves.

[firstchoice1956]

I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw this but when It played the words rolled right off my tongue and the memories came flooding back! thank you. I haven't seen Kool and the Gang since they played at The Sugar Shack in 1972 in Boston....This is a treat! Thank you!

[MetalReaperMax]

i love this song =]

[clhomie]

this is when kool and the gang had that real funk

[Xelanderthomas]

@clhomie you got the right. There's people today that don't even know they had horns.

[Ltron9]

Chuck Chillout and Cool Chip sampled this for "Bronxwood Productions"

[nubonyx]

Thank the Creator for the Internet! I haven't heard this in a minute. Dayum, it was all about trying to achieve peace and love back then and hopefully we will get there again.

[nmsudan]

K & G were "scientists of sound who wer mathematically were puttin' it down". Thanks for sharing this other gems like it. This LP was big during my freshman year in college. Back in 1970, K & G played the prom for 1970 graduating class @ Mt. Vernon High School, NY. Bros & sisters jammed to the sounds of K&G, Raw Hamburgers, Chocolate Buttermilk, The Fuzz, et al. Who's Gonna Take the Weight?

[leecool1956]

This is what Kool and the Gang became known for. The band was tight. Horn arrangements awesome. There from Jersey City, NJ I used to hear them rehearsing near Montgomery houses

[massusm25]

wow brother ! ! !... would of loved to have been there too !

[Xelanderthomas]

@leecool1956 That's right. Now days most people don't even know they play horns more less put it together like this.

[barrybstroke1]

Now this is the K & G i remeber. They were originally kown for their funky jazz play. EW&F also were known for funky jazz riffs in early 70's concerts. Thanks for getting this out.

[dolphingirl2225]

now this is the real kool and the gang

[ZELCOMPTON]

some funkn play it again jazz

[Linelia]

I love Light of Worlds! They probably hung in my neighborhood where the Muslim centers were located! I love Kool and the Gang!

[mrpower328]

This is a hip hop beat.

[ostione]

its the other way around.

[ace12067]

this kind of reminds me of SLY & THE FAMILY STONE's thank you for lettin me be myself again. i just loooooooooooove 70's music !!!!!!. best decade for music, no doubt!!!!!.

[faronlockridge]

If you've got FUNK, you've got style. So to everybody around the world who felt this groove back when it came out until now...Peace and Love. With the exception of a few artists now days, we all know that the music today is in the toilet. Remember back when we used to look forward to watching the Grammy Awards? Man this jam is colorful. Thanks to all of you who still love real music. There are a few of us left. Hey can somebody repost "Soul Vibrations?"

[kishaoh]

I was looking for "Soul Vibrations" on you tube, but no one had posted it. I wish that someone would post it, because I like that song.

[Lar112]

It was on here. They keep removing the great tracks when this band was very funky. Another track I wish they would put back is north south east and west.

[kishaoh]

I wonder why they keep doing this? At least I am glad that they still have "Summer Madness" posted that is really by best favorite song by Kool & The Gang.

[illlyricist420]

Theres still some good shit out there if your into looking for it. because radio wont play it. Hip hop wise The roots make good music, Talib Kwelli, J-Dilla ect ect but the shit on the radio is just streight ignorant and arrogant

[blqceaser]

Bismillah!

In or around the time of deep conscious exploration with a sojourn through the Nation of Islam! More evidenced by their work entitled "Light of Worlds". Long live Muhammad! Ameen!

[haphbreed1]

I see no one figured out who sampled this song. 0:04-0:08 was sampled by Ice Cube on "The Ni@@a You Love To Hate" off of his debut solo classic album "Amerikkka's Most Wanted". Man nobody got that? And that is a classsssssic hip hop album!

[Damce]

i got a tape!! not just taped but a real tape instead of LP or CD of amerikkka's most wanted. i recognized it too. props!! ultramgnetic mc's also sampled the horns @ 1:08!!!

[FunkyJoce]

I love this song !!!!

[soundsfromnothing]

I like Kool & the gang.....and at the same time I don't. They would do the hardest funk songs like "Its x-rated," then they did songs like this. While I don't think this is a bad song, its got some strong pre-disco leanings(like the chimes, the bass pattern on the chorus. While disco itself came out of Philly Soul (initally w/no vocals extended orchestra and more urgent violins) it borrowed from funk too. I wonder how much songs like this influenced it. Songs okay, but I like their harder funk.

[haasy]

i break it down like this, there is two kool & the gangs, the one with JT Taylor and the one without. I only listen to the version without, with the exception of "misled" thats a good cut in any genre

[soundsfromnothing]

Yeah, they were definitely better w/ Taylor. More innovative too!

[yschwarz1]

I agree with u and soundsfrom. they were better between 1970-1976.much more innovative and colorful. many R&B bands from the 70' faded in the 80' but not K&tg!

the reason is that they changed a little(to much...) their unic(k?) sound and brought Mr.tylor and had a slick entry to the 80' and they lasted more then the other during that era! (soory for my english...)

[novaracer1]

Are you freakin kidding me?????? These guy's went to shit when JT Taylor joined. Talk about disco. Listen HARD to the bass and drums on this song, and tell me that groove isn't funky. I wore this song out on my record player trying to learn the bass and drum parts, and get the groove just right.

[soundsfromnothing]

Like I said, it's not Disco, but has pre-leanings. U have 2 remember, disco borrowed from things besides Philly Soul. Stevie Wonders "Superstition" Clavinet pattern was an obvious influence on songs like "Jungle Boogie," & later Bee-Gee's cheese like "Stayin' Alive." Even-clearly-disco songs like "Love is the Message" by MFSB had some "strong" funk breaks. That, was more pop orchestra than anything. This song(in a small way)was leading that way. Like I said, I'm more of a fan of their deep funk.

[humanvynil]

i also prefer their instrumental way of doing music. yes, rated X, and also NT (many people's favourite), north east south west (my favourite), electric frog, raw hamburger, etc.

now if you like to hear a good cover of "love the life you live" by the impossibles (1975), check out my videos.

[soundsfromnothing]

I love "Love the life you live!" I've never heard the Impossibles version. I've heard the K & T G version, and the Black Heat version. I'll deff check out your vids!

[jowersomega]

sampled by the 45 king for queen latifa's first album."king and queen creation".first few seconds of the beat.45 king sampled kool and the gang heavy.

[sirnaked]

grandmaster caz sampled it for "get down grandmaster"

[rawgin3]

This is one of my B-boy specials. I'm glad I was able to hear this again.

[Flinkflonk]

Apart from the infectious groove, I like the drums, keyboard, guitar and bass break and the harp-wash near the end before the horns repeat the riff on the way out.

[Flinkflonk]

Terrific stuff. Does anybody know if this song was ever sampled?

[lewisham692]

Many times !!!!!!!!!!!

[LamontCJ]

Yeah! the Gang' prior to Deodato and "Ladies Night." During this period, their horn section ranked with the best!

[Flinkflonk]

Does anybody is this song was ever sampled and by whom?

[LamontCJ]

I don't know but what I seem to realize is that samplin' has morphed into some kind of art form for gen xer's. I'm a old head and do not relate to why that's something hip. I won't say I like it but I can say I don't understand it.

[freddypknight]

@LamontCJ: word! I'm an old head, too. It's interesting how gen x'ers have elevated the ability to identify a sample to an art form. Back in the day when music was original, we focused on analyzing the instrumentation, breaking down the beat, the groove and the lyrics. Sure glad I was born when I was.

[leecool1956]

I agree with you on that. Back then every neighborhood had a band of some sort. Talent shows were the norm. We are lucky to have experienced that . and better yet , were still here to talk about it.

[yschwarz1]

wow! its hard to make a mistake when you hear the groove- no dought,its k&tg !!!

thank you for posting.

[s72952]

I Hear you Kalcom25. The Funkiest Breakdown in The History of Funk...

[MISTERQCUE]

This is REAL MUSIC perf'd by REAL MUSICIANS &

not the crap you hear today!!!

Shout-outs to "DavidZ56" & "Scratchnsnif" for taking the words rite outta' my mouth!

[veightengine]

You´re right!. Peace from Chile!. Funk, Funk and nothing but the old funk.

[Abdoulaly]

lool

[orladan]

just funky

OKOOLT

[DavidZ56]

Finally, proof for the youngin's of how real bands got it done. The blend of the horns is "off the hinges." Outstanding!

[Scratchnsnif]

Oh my goodness I haven't heard this like in decades!!!

Thank you for this post. Can you add some more from this particular album please? I like the whole thing practically!

[kalcom2]

The real kool and the gang